> 


tihvavy  of  t:he  t:heolo0icd  ^tminavy 

PRINCETON  .  NEW  JERSEY 

FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
ROBERT  ELLIOTT  SPEER 


BV  2360  .Y7  V6  1906 
Vickrey,  Charles  Vernon, 

1876- 
The  young  people's 

rnissjmna  r  vuhq  v^jnent. 


THE  YOUNG  PEOPLE'S 
MISSIONARY  MOVEMENT 


;jb^' 


^ 


APR  13  1959 


THE  YOUNG  PEOPLE'S 
MISSIONARY  MOVEMENT 


CHARLES  V.  VICKREY 


THE  YOUNG  PEOPLE'S  MISSIONARY  MOVEMENT 
NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1906 

BY 

The  Young  People's 
Missionary  Movement 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Historical  Statement 9 

Organization  and  Achievements 25 

Forecast 57 


HISTORICAL  STATEMENT 


ll|t0tortral  S^tat^mrtit 


The  Young  People^s  Missionary  Movement 
as  an  organization  is  not  yet  four  years  old.* 
In  fact  it  is  scarcely  more  than  three  years 
since  the  office  of  the  Movement  was  first 
opened  and  aggressive  work  under  a  secretary 
inaugurated. 

It  wO'Uld  be  unfair,  however,  to  infer  that 
the  present  growth  and  achievements  in  mis- 
sionary work  among  young  people  are  due 
wholly  to  the  work  of  the  Young  People's 
Missionary  Movement.  Many  factors  had  for 
years  been  contributing  to  a  quickening  of 
missionary  interest  among  the  young  people's 
societies  of  the  Churches.  Among  these 
forces  may  be  mentioned  the  influence  of  the 
Student  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
founded  in  1877,  and  of  the  College  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association,  organized  in 
1885. 

The  missionary  spirit  developed  by  these 
two  associations  among  the  college  students 
of  No'rth  America  found  its  natural  expres- 
sion in  the  organization  at  Mt.  Hermon,  Mass., 


tariff 


Btubtnt 
Bolmttppr 


*  Organized  July  18,  1902. 


in  1886,  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement 
for  Foreign  Missions. 
©Iiallfug?  to  A  few  years  after  the  organization  of  the 
%ailnirrl|  Student  Volunteer  Movement,  the  Churches 
were  forced  to  recognize  the  fact  that  a  co-n- 
siderable  number  of  the  strongest  and  best 
young  men  and  women  of  the  colleges  had 
signed  the  Volunteer  Declaration  Card,  stat- 
ing, ''It  is  my  purpose,  if  God  permit,  to  be- 
come a  foreign  missionary."  Many  of  them 
having  completed  their  college  and  pro^fes- 
sional  training,  were  offering  themselves  to 
their  missionary  boards  for  appointment  to  the 
mission  field,  and  in  numerous  instances  were 
given  the  almost  stereotyped  reply,  'We 
would  like  to  send  you,  the  work  greatly  needs 
you,  but  we  scarcely  have  sufficient  funds 
available  to  support  our  present  co^rps  of  work- 
ers, to  say  nothing  of  meeting  the  appeals  for 
reinforcements."  Thus  the  uprising  of  the 
Student  Volunteers  became  an  unspoken  chal- 
lenge to  the  Christian  Church.  The  volun- 
teers practically  proclaimed  by  their  consecra- 
tion, though  they  did  not  presume  to  put  it 
in  words,  "Our  lives  against  your  money  for 


10 


f  outt0  T^to\ilta  MtHstonarg  Mantmtnt 


II 


the  evangelization  of  the  world  in  this  gen- 
eration." 

It  soon  became  evident  that  a  parallel  move- 
ment or  missionary  quickening  would  be 
necessary  among  the  Christian  ministry  and 
laity  if  the  Church  was  to  respond  to  the  op- 
portunity of  sending  these  young  men  and 
women  into  the  fields  to  which  they  had  been 
called. 

In  the  providence  of  God,  there  arose 
about  this  time,  beginning  in  1881,  the  great 
mass  movement  among  the  young  people  of 
the  Churches  which  within  a  few  years  enroled 
nearly  five  million  members  in  the  various 
young  people's  societies,  leagues,  unions, 
brotherhoods,  and  similar  organizations.  But 
in  many  instances  these  young  people's  socie- 
ties were,  or  soon  became,  little  more  than  an 
enrolment  of  the  eager  young  life  of  the 
Church  organized,  ready  for  action,  but  await- 
ing a  co-mmanding  objective  and  intelligent 
direction  of  their  energy. 

It  was  felt  by  many  leaders  that  nothing 
could  constitute  a  stronger  appeal  or  more 
worthily  draw  forth  the  latent  power  of  these 
five   million   young   people   than   a   presenta- 


faun0 
ganiiationa 


Wh\tctirte 


^0U«9  p^npljf'a  iliflBtanarg  iHntirmrnt 


danuhtan 


tion  of  the  needs  and  the  claims  of  the 
non-Christian  world.  Moreover,  it  was  be- 
lieved that  the  personal  contact  and  work  on 
the  part  of  detained  and  other  student  volun- 
teers with  the  young  people  in  the  Churches 
would  prove  a  mighty  factor  in  increasing 
missionary  intelligence,  interest,  and  a  sense 
of  respo-nsibility. 

Accordingly,  there  was  organized  first  in 
Canada  in  March,  1895,  under  the  leadership 
of  Dr.  F.  C.  Stephenson,  of  Trinity  Medical 
College,  Toronto,  a  movement  known  in  the 
early  days  as  The  Student  Missionary  Cam- 
paign for  an  Exodus  of  Missionaries.  The 
plan  of  action  embraced  the  following  fea- 
tures : 

1.  It  was  an  appeal  by  college  and  university 
students  to  the  young  people  of  the  churches  in 
behalf  of  Christian  missions. 

2.  It  was  purely  a  labor  of  love  as  the  students 
served  without  compensation,  devoting  in  many  in- 
stances, their  entire  summer  vacation  period  to  the 
work. 

3.  The  aim  was  three-fold — to  promote  daily 
prayer  for,  careful  study  of,  and  systematic  giving 
to,  missions.  "Pray,  Study,  Give" — was  the  motto 
adopted  by  the  campaigners. 


f  uung  3^raplp*a  Mtsatanarti  ilaurmi^ttt 


13 


4.  The  policy  was  to  avoid  the  introduction  of 
new  machinery  into  the  church,  and  to  render  more 
effective  existing  organizations. 

5.  Permanency  of  interest  was  sought,  rather 
than  the  fleeting  enthusiasm  that  is  easily  engen- 
dered in  public  meetings.  Therefore  much  emphasis 
was  placed  upon  the  importance  of  energizing  and 
training  the  missionary  committee  in  the  young 
people's  society  for  increasing  effectiveness  after  the 
departure  of  the  student  campaigner.  Libraries  of 
choicest  missionary  books  were  placed  in  the 
churches,  mission  study  classes  were  organized  and 
systematic   proportionate   giving   inaugurated. 

Enough  work  was  accomplished  in  Canada 
during  the  first  summer  of  1895  to  demon- 
strate the  value  of  the  propaganda.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1896,  after  a  winter  of  careful  prep- 
aration, seventy  campaigners  were  engaged 
in  the  work,  reporting  517  meetings,  attended 
by  35,000  people.  Between  1895  and  1902  a 
total  of  more  than  300  students  were  engaged 
in  the  campaign  work  in  Canada,  holding  up- 
wards of  3,000  meetings  and  organizing  work 
in  more  than  1,100  centers. 

During  that  period  the  annual  missionary 
contributions  from  the  young  people's  societies 
of  the  churches  visited,  increased  steadily  from 


dampatgn 
&tati0tira 


ISiimxita  at 

(Hmmhlan 

CO^auqtatgn 


f  nuttg  l^ttipltB  HtBjatnttartj  Mmtmtnt 


itt  SajrttHt 


Ut  lEpmnrtlj 


$i,6oo  in  i895-'96,  to  $30,226  in  igo2-'o^,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  year  igo2-07,  thirty-eight 
missionaries  had  been  assigned  to  young  peo- 
ple's societies  for  support  over  and  above  regu- 
lar contributions  through  the  Church  treasury. 

While  this  work  was  going  forward  in  Can- 
ada, there  was  the  beginning  of  a  similar 
movement  in  the  United  States.  As  early  as 
1894,  a  group  of  Baptist  student  volunteers 
from  Denison  University  devoted  their  sum- 
mer vacation  to  a  missionary  campaign  among 
the  Baptist  churches  of  Ohio;  and  during  the 
three  succeeding  vacation  periods,  from  five 
to  seven  students  visited  each  year  about  200 
churches  in  Ohio  and  West  Virginia. 

In  1897  eight  volunteers  from  Northwest- 
ern and  Lawrence  Universities  visited  some 
of  the  Epworth  Leagues  of  Wisconsin.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1897  ^^-  Willis  W.  Cooper, 
an  interested  layman  who  was  directing  and 
supporting  this  experimental  work  in  Wiscon- 
sin, and  Mr.  Fletcher  S.  Brockman,  one  of 
the  secretaries  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Move- 
ment, went  to  Toronto  to  study  the  prin- 
ciples and  methods  of  the  Canadian  work. 

The  result  was,  that  during  the  spring  of 


f  dung  5^^0pk*0  misatonartj  Mtxntmmt 


15 


1898,  Mr.  Brookman  visited  thirty  American 
colleges,  enlisting  and  training  160  students 
fo-r  the  summer  campaign  work.  Through  the 
generosity  of  Mr.  Cooper,  a  central  office  was 
opened  in  Chicago,  with  Mr.  S.  Earl  Taylor 
as  secretary.  During  the  five  summers,  from 
1898-1902  inclusive,  under  Mr.  Taylor's  di- 
rection, more  than  300  students  from  30  col- 
leges and  25  states  visited  and  organized  work 
in  more  than  2,000  churches,  reaching  directly 
with  their  message  over  200,000  Church  mem- 
bers. The  significance  of  this  work  is  more 
striking  when  one  considers  the  fact  that  at 
the  beginning  of  the  campaign  in  1898,  O'nly 
four  and  one-half  per  cent,  of  the  Epworth 
Leagues,  among  which  this  campaign  was  con- 
ducted, had  a  nominal  missionary  committee. 
To-day,  largely  as  a  result  of  the  student 
campaign  work,  nearly  all  of  the  more  than 
21,000  Epworth  Leagues  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  have  missionary  depart- 
ments. 

The  work  thus  somewhat  extensively 
launched  in  one  denomination  was  very 
quickly  adopted  by  other  Churches,  until  in 
1903  there  were  not  less  than  thirteen  denom- 


^tatlatira  of 


l&mh 


inations  using  their  student  volunteers  and 
other  college  students  in  the  missionary  cam- 
paign among  their  young  people's  societies. 
fal?  The  work  of  the  college  students,  however, 
^  "a^^N  being  confined  to  the  summer  months,  natural- 
ly reached  largely  the  smaller  towns  and  rural 
communities.  It  was  apparent  that  to  reach 
adequately  the  churches  of  the  larger  towns 
and  cities,  a  carefully  prepared  plan  of 
campaign  would  be  required,  extending 
through  the  winter  months,  and  that  the 
services  of  graduate  rather  than  under-gradu- 
ate  students  would  be  needed.  For  this  work 
five  Yale  men  in  the  spring  of  1898  offered 
their  services  without  compensation  for  one 
year.  This  group  of  men,  known  as  the  Yale 
Missionary  Band,  visited  during  the  year 
1898-99  not  less  than  ninety-five  of  the  lead- 
ing cities  and  towns,  from  the  Missouri  River 
to  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  addressed  900  meet- 
ings attended  by  200,000  people,  and  held  364 
conferences  on  practical  methods  of  mission- 
ary work,  attended  by  officers,  committeemen, 
and  official  representatives  of  more  than  two 
thousand  young  people's  societies. 


I|0tttt9  T^tcpltB  MiBBiannti^  McMtmmt 


17 


Much  might  be  said  of  the  influence  of  this 
student  campaign  work,  not  only  in  the  way 
of  increased  missionary  intelHgence,  interest, 
prayer,  and  giving,  but  in  the  more  important 
deepening  of  the  spiritual  life  and  devotion  of 
the  young  people  and  of  the  entire  church 
membership.  Hardly  less  noticeable  than  the 
results  in  the  churches  has  been  the  reflex  in- 
fluence upon  the  lives  of  the  campaigners 
themiselves  and  upon  the  general  student  body. 
Many  of  the  campaigners  were  not  volunteers 
when  they  began  their  work,  but  a  person  can- 
not prepare  a  missionary  address  and  make  an 
appeal  in  behalf  of  missions  night  after  night 
to  other  people,  without  becoming  increasingly 
impressed  with  his  own  personal  responsibility 
to  meet  the  need.  Thus  not  a  few  of  the  cam- 
paigners, who  had  expected  to  spend  their 
lives  in  the  ministry  or  in  business  in  the  home- 
land, before  the  completion  of  their  campaign 
work,  had  declared  their  purpose  to  respond  to 
their  own  appeal  for  the  mission  field.  Scores 
of  others,  influenced  by  their  appeals  but  pre- 
vented from  offering  for  foreign  service,  have 
become  earnest  missionary  pastors  or  strong 


of  i&tuifttt 


^0«tt3  3?^0|jU*ja  iltBHtnnaru  Mnurmmt 


JUrattHfernf 


PrrilmUtarg 
of  Maaxh 


lay  workers  in  the  home  field,  as  a  result  of 
their  close  study  of  the  missionary  problem. 

The  time  came  about  1901  when  the  mis- 
sionary work  among  young  people  had  far  ex- 
ceeded the  a'bility  of  the  student  campaigners 
to  meet  its  needs.  For  the  first  few  years  stu- 
dent campaigners  were  indispensable,  but  with 
the  organization  of  strong  missionary  depart- 
ments or  committees,  the  establishment  of 
missionary  libraries,  and  the  formation  of  mis- 
sion study  classes,  there  came  to  be  a  large 
number  of  young  people's  society  officers  and 
leaders  who  were  competent  to  organize  and 
supervise  the  work  that  had  been  pioneered  by 
the  students. 

The  next  problem  was  that  of  organizing, 
unifying,  and  giving  comprehensive  direction 
to  the  energy  of  the  increasing  company  of 
missionary  specialists  who  were  being  de- 
veloped in  the  churches  and  young  people's 
societies.  The  secretaries  of  a  number  of  mis- 
sionary boards,  realizing  the  possibilities  of 
this  rapid  growth  of  interest^  proposed  that  a 
conference  of  workers  be  held  to  compare 
methods.  The  first  preliminary  meeting  was 
held  in  the  Reformed   Church   Building,  25 


^0Uttg  T^tapitB  MiBBXcnnr^  Mmtmtnt 


19 


East  22nd  Street,  New  York  City,  September 
2y,  1901.  At  this  meeting  it  was  resolved  to 
hold  a  conference  at  which  ample  opportu- 
nity should  be  given  for  free  discussion  of 
the  topics  presented,  and  the  details  of  prepa- 
ration were  entrusted  to  a  committee  con- 
sisting of  A.  DeWitt  Mason,  Chairman; 
Luther  D.  Wishard,  Secretary;  Charles  L. 
Rhoades,  R.  W.  Miller,  R.  R.  Doherty, 
John  W.  Conklin,  John  W.  Wood,  W.  L. 
Amerman,  and  C.  V.  Vickrey. 

In  accordance  with  the  above  action  such  a 
conference  was  held  on  December  11-12, 
1901,  in  the  Assembly  Hall  of  the  Presby- 
terian Building,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 
City.  The  conference  was  attended  by  195 
delegates,  a  list  of  whose  names  was  printed, 
together  with  a  full  report  of  the  program 
and  discussions.* 

The  Committee  on  "Principles  and  Results 
of  the  Conference/*  of  which  C.  C.  Cree- 
gan  was  chairman,  presented  at  the  close 
a  series  of  resolutions  to  which  may  be 
traced  directly  the  organization  O'f  the  Young 


(Hanftrtntt 
1901 


on  IptixtcipltB 
vmhViseixitB 


*  Young  PcQple  and  Missions,  Foreign  Missions 
Library,  156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City. 


People's  Missionary  Movement,  formally  con- 
summated seven  months  later.  Section  five  of 
the  resolutions  reads  as  follows: 

firsnlutinn  Resolved,   That   since   this   gathering   contains   so 

many  representative  workers  from  so  many  sections 
of  our  continent,  and  our  conference  has  been  so 
enthusiastic  and  stimulating,  we  appoint  the  follow- 
ing provisional  committee  which  when  made  perma- 
nent will  have  power  to  increase  its  number  and 
to  fill  vacancies.  (It  is  distinctly  understood  that 
this  committee  becomes  permanent  only  when  each 
denomination  represented  has  concurred  by  action 
of  its  Board  of  Missions  in  appointing  the  person 
named,  or  another  of  their  own  choice.) 

A.  DeWitt  Mason,  Luther  D.  Wishard,  Charles  L. 
Rhoades,  John  W.  Wood,  R.  W.  Miller,  S.  Earl 
Taylor,  W.  Henry  Grant,  P.  L.  Cobb,  F.  C.  Stephen- 
son, William  M.  Bell,  A.  L.  Phillips,  R.  P.  Mackay, 
Rivington  D.  Lord,  James  Wood, 

Their  duties  shall  be,  first,  to  arrange  for  a  similar 
conference  within  one  year  at  such  place  and  time 
as  they  may  select,  and  secondly,  to  publish  the 
proceedings  of  this  conference  as  fully  as  seems 
to  them  wise. 

(J^rgamzatum         The  committee  appointed  convened  immedi- 
irffoun0     ^^gj     ^^  ^^^  ^j^gg  ^f  ^^^  ^^^    York    Confer- 

HtHBionara     ence,  lo  P.  M.,  December  12,  and  elected  Lu- 
Movtmsnt     ther  D.  Wishard,  Chairman,   and   W.   Henry 


20 


Grant,  secretary  and  treasurer  pro  tern.  At 
the  meeting  of  the  committee  held  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Student  Volunteer  Convention 
in  Toronto,  February,  1902,  it  was  decided  to 
hold  the  next  conference  (after  the  New  York 
Conference  of  1901)  at  Silver  Bay  on  Lake 
George,  July  16-27,  1902.  It  was  at  this  con- 
ference, after  much  prayer  and  in  full  con- 
sultation with  the  secretaries  of  the  various 
missionary  boards  who  were  present,  that  the 
committee  felt  led  of  God,  on  July  18,  1902,  to 
enter  into  the  formal  organization  of  the 
Young  People's  Missionary  Movement. 


21 


ORGANIZATION  AND  ACHIEVEMENTS 


25 


The  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement 
is  not  a  new,  independent  organization  adding 
to  the  confusion  of  societies  that  so  frequently 
cluster  around  the  local  church  or  parish.  It 
is  rather  a  federation  ot  clearing-house  of  the 
young  people's  departments  of  the  various 
home  and  foreign  missionary  boards  of  North 
America.  It  is  a  practical  application  to 
Christian  activity  of  the  modern  business  prin- 
ciple of  co-operation  and  consolidation.  It  at 
the  same  time  respects  and  protects  the  indi- 
viduality and  supremacy  of  the  denominational 
or  Church  missionary  board  and  deals  with  the 
young  people  of  a  local  church  or  parish,  only 
through  regular  Church  channels,  and  not  by 
independent  methods. 

The  clearing-house  character  of  the  Move- 
ment is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  control  of  the 
Movement  is  vested  in  a  Board  of  Alanagers 
limited  to  fifteen  persons,  all  of  whom  are  sec- 
retaries of  denominational  or  Church  mission- 
ary boards,  officially  approved  by  their  re- 
spective boards  for  the  direction  of  the  Move- 
ment. 


Nirtait 
(!9rganizatum 


H&ow^h  of 


lExttvAivt  Supplementing  the  work  of  the  Board  of 
©ommUtFe  Managers  there  is  an  Executive  Committee 
composed  of  secretaries  of  the  five  largest  mis- 
sionary boards  in  America,  who,  meeting  not 
less  frequently  than  once  a  month,  give  more 
detailed  supervision,  with  the  assistance  of 
other  sub-committees,  to  the  executive  work  of 
the  Movement.  The  benefits  of  the  Move- 
ment are  offered  to  all  Church  bodies.  Not 
less  than  thirty-two  missionary  boards  are 
now  availing  themselves  of  the  literature  and 
other  privileges  of  the  Movement,  and  so  far 
as  is  known,  there  is  no  board  in  the  United 
States,  Canada,  or  Great  Britain  that  is  not  in 
heartiest  sympathy  with  the  principles  that  un- 
derlie the  work. 
Ifixarpaat  The  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement 
aims  to  assist  established  Church  agencies 
to  deepen  the  spiritual  life  and  missionary 
purpose  of  young  people.  The  Young 
People's  Missionary  Movement  differs  from 
the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  for  Foreign 
Missions  in  that  it  seeks  to  promote  both  home 
and  foreign  missions,  whereas  the  Student  Vol- 
unteer Movement  devotes  itself  to  the  interests  26 
of  the  foreign  work.     While  the  Young  Peo- 


PURPOSE 


THE  EVANGELIZATION  OF  THE 
WORLD  IN  THIS  GENERATION 


M 
E 

N 

E 

N 
O 

u 

G 
H 


1 6,000  Missionaries  on  the  Field 

50,000  Required  to  Evangelize 
the  World 

1 ,000,000  men  Engaged  in  the 
Russo-Japanese  War 


1 ,195,000  in  the  Standing  Ar- 
mies of  the  United  States,  Great 
Britain,  and  Germany 


1,200,000  American,  British, 
and  German  College  Graduates 
of  a  Generation.  1  -24th  would 
Evangelize  the  World 


M 

O 

N 

E 

Y 

E 
N 
O 

u 

G 
H 


$20,000,000  Income  of  For- 
eign Missionary  Societies  of  the 
World 


$800,000,000  Army  and  Navy 
Expenditures  of  the  United 
States,  Great  Britain,  and  Ger- 
many 

$1,11  5,000,000  Cost  to  Great 
Britain  of  South  African  War 


$796,207,000  Annual  net  In- 
crease in  Wealth  of  Protestant 
Church  Members  of  the  United 
States,  over  and  above  all  Ex- 
penditures 

$25,000,000,000TotalWealth 
of  the  Protestant  Church  Mem- 
bers of  the  United  States 


POWER     ENOUGH 


And  Jesus  came  and  spake  unto  them,  saying, 
ALL  POWER  IS  GIVEN  UNTO  ME  in  heaven  and  in  earth. 
GO  YE  THEREFORE,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  teaching 
them  to  observeall  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you:  and,  lo, 
I  AM  WITH  YOU  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world. 


WE  CAN  DO  IT  IF  WE  WILL 


FIELD 


HE  field  of  the  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement 
includes  14,000,000  Sunday  School  scholars  and 
5,000,000  members  of  Young  People's  Societies  in 
the  United  States  and  Canada  who  are  now  at  the 
a^e  of  greatest  religious  interest,  who  are  forming  their 
ideals  and  habits  of  Christian  life  and  service,  and  who  within  fifteen 
or  twenty  years  will  constitute  the  body  of  the  Christian  church,  con- 
trolling the  more  than  $25,000,000,000  of  wealth  and  the  un- 
measured moral  and  spiritual  resources  of  Christendom. 


22,000,000    IN 
CHURCHES 

PROTESTANT 
OF   AMERICA 

14,000,000 

IN 

SUNDAY 

SCHOOLS 

YOUNG 

?.f5gL°^S°i8o,ET,ES 

THE  CHURCH  OF  TO-MORROW 


THE  PERIOD  FOR  MISSIONARY  TRAINING 

16 


19 


20 
21 


u 


Z3 
24 


li 


Age  of  Greatest  Religious  Interest 


Age  of  Conversion 


pie's  Missionary  Movement  has  not  formally 
adopted  any  watchword,  there  is  in  it  much  of 
the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  watchword  of  the 
Student  Volunteer  Movement — The  Evangel- 
ization of  the  World  in  this  Generation.  It  is 
believed  that  if  these  two  great  forces  of 
young  people  can  be  united  in  effort — the 
army  of  student  volunteers  occupying  the 
firing  line  of  missions,  and  the  young  people 
in  the  home  Churches  furnishing  the  munitions 
of  war — the  world  can,  under  the  power  of 
God,  be  evangelized  within  the  lifetime  of 
those  who  are  now  entering  upon  the  respon- 
sibilities of  Church  membership. 

The  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement  ^itih 
accepts  as  its  field  for  cultivation  the  Church 
of  the  future  as  at  present  enroled,  organized, 
and  in  training  in  the  young  people's  societies, 
Sunday-schools,  and  other  young  people's  or- 
ganizations of  the  evangelical  Churches  of 
the  United  States  and  Canada.  The  Move- 
ment recognizes  that  its  field  of  labor  is  distinct 
from  that  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement, 
and  that  the  one  is  supplemental  to  the  other. 
^7  The  leaders  of  the  two  Movements  are  in  fre- 
quent  and  close   consultation,   and   are   seek- 


ing  to  co-operate  in  every  way  possible. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  official  representatives 
of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  with 
the  representatives  of  the  Young  People's 
Missionary  Movement,  on  November  i6, 
1904,  action  was  taken  definitely  outlining 
the  fields  of  operation  for  the  two  or- 
ganizations. The  Student  Volunteer  Move- 
ment works  among  the  200,000  or  more  col- 
lege students  of  North  America,  and  the 
Young  People's  Missionary  Movement  among 
the  14,000,000  Sunday-school  scholars,  the 
5,000,000  members  of  the  young  people's  so- 
cieties, and  among  other  unorganized  young 
people  in  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
Elifl^vAnvf  These  millions  of  young  people,  now 
at  the  formative  period  of  life  when  vital 
decisions  are  being  made  and  principles 
established,  constitute  the  future  Church. 
Within  fifteen  or  twenty  years  they  will 
control  the  more  than  $25,000,000,000  of 
wealth  with  its  natural  increase,  and  the 
more  important  and  unmeasured  moral  and 
spiritual  resources  of  the  Protestant  Church 
of  North  America.  The  purpose  of  both  the 
Student  Volunteer  Movement  and  the  Young 


flIJjurrti 


28 


Vimn^  l^tapitB  iHiBBtottctrg  iHaurmtnt 


29 


People's  Missionary  Movement  is  the  speedy 
evangelization  of  the  world ;  the  Student  Vol- 
unteer Movement  aiming  primarily  at  the 
enrolment  of  volunteers  for  the  mission  field 
and  incidentally  at  the  quickening  of  the 
home  Church;  the  Young  People's  Mission- 
ary Movement  aiming  primarily  at  the  de- 
velopment of  the  interest  of  the  home  Church 
through  the  young  people  from  whom  must 
come  the  support  of  the  outgoing  volunteers. 
This,  however,  does  not  confine  the  influence 
of  the  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement 
to  the  non-college  young  people,  for  experience 
has  shown  that  some  of  the  most  important  in- 
fluences entering  into  the  college  student's  life 
are  those  of  his  home  Church  or  Sunday- 
school  before  his  entrance  to  college  or  after 
graduation.  Moreover,  a  considerable  per- 
centage of  the  delegates  at  the  Summer  Con- 
ferences of  the  Movement  are  college  gradu- 
ates, several  of  whom  have  there  experienced 
the  personal  call  to  missionary  service  and  are 
to-day  found  in  the  various  mission  fields.  The 
membership  of  the  mission  study  classes  of  the 
churches  is  composed  in  no  small  measure  of 
college  graduates,  and  an  increasing  number 


fdung  '^txipitB  HiBBWttarg  Mmxtmtnt 


^mpotat  of 

Bnmmn 

(UrnxftrmsfB 


of  yO'Ung  persons  are  going  from  the  study 
classes  to  college  with  their  minds  open  and 
favorably  disposed  toward  missions,  thus  be- 
coming the  natural  leaders  in  missio-nary  ac- 
tivities among  the  students  and  not  infre- 
quently offering  themselves  as  student  vol- 
unteers. 

With  an  army  of  millions  of  more  or  less 
inexperienced  Christian  young  people  to  be 
organized  and  intelligently  directed  in  mis- 
sionary effort,  it  is  evident  that  one  of  the 
first  demands  is  for  trained  leaders.  Therefore, 
it  is  the  policy  of  the  Movement  to  hold  each 
year  in  different  sections  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada  missionary  conferences  or  train- 
ing schools  for  the  better  equipment  of  lead- 
ers in  young  people's  work.  Eight  of  these 
conferences,  each  of  about  ten  days'  duration, 
have  been  held,  with  a  total  attendance  of 
nearly  twenty-five  hundred  leaders  and  dele- 
gates. The  conferences  of  1906,  four  in  num- 
ber, will  enrol  an  additional  fifteen  hundred 
workers. 

These  Summer  Conferences  are  intended 
primarily  as  annual  councils  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  year's  campaign  and  as  schools  for 


30 


(S-WXftVttXttB 


the  instruction  and  preparation  of  those  who 
are  to  have  chief  responsibiHty  for  the  direc- 
tion of  missionary  work  in  important  centers 
and  local  churches.  The  delegates  at  these  con- 
ferences are  for  the  most  part  personally  se- 
lected, by  the  secretaries  of  their  respective 
missionary  boards,  with  special  reference  to 
their  fitness  for  leadership,  and  not  infrequent- 
ly upon  their  return  are  able  to  organize  cam- 
paigns that  reach  large  sections  of  territory. 

Speaking  of  the  value  of  the  summer  con-  "Maiut  of 
ferences,  a  secretary  of  one  oi  the  largest  mis- 
sionary boards  reported  to  the  president  of  his 
board  that :  "Almost  without  exception,  where- 
ever  a  strong  work  has  been  discovered  this 
year  in  any  young  people's  society,  the  causes 
have  been  traced  directly  to  the  Silver  Bay 
Conference  of  last  year  or  the  year  before." 
Another  secretary  of  a  still  larger  board  says : 
"I  cannot  now  recall  a  single  faithful,  effect- 
ive worker  among  the  young  people  of  my  de- 
nomination upon  whom  I  can  rely  for  large 
service,  who  has  not  received  the  larger  part  of 
his  training  at  one  of  these  summer  confer- 
3^  ences.'^  Numerous  instances  could  be  cited  of 
delegates  who  as  a  result  of  the  inspiration 


f  dung  PwpU'a  fUtHjawttarii  Mnxttrntnt 


Mttropalitan 
dinstxtxAta 


flan  of 
l^nBtiUiUa 


and  methods  received  at  these  conferences 
have  influenced  vitally  for  missions  large  met- 
ropolitan districts  or  an  entire  denomination, 
while  many  clergymen  will  unite  in  the  testi- 
mony O'f  a  prominent  pastor  who  writes  that 
"representation  at  Silver  Bay  has  transformed 
the  life  of  my  church." 

An  extension  of  the  work  of  the  summer 
conferences  is  found  in  the  Metropolitan  Mis- 
sionary Institutes  which  are  held  in  important 
centers  during  the  fall  and  winter  months. 
These  institutes  have  for  their  special  purpose 
the  training  of  the  large  numiber  of  workers  in 
local  churches  who  are  prevented  from  com- 
ing in  contact  with  the  more  extended  program 
that  is  presented  at  the  summer  conferences. 
The  first  of  these  institutes  was  held  at  Day- 
ton, Ohio,  in  October,  1904.  They  are  in  a 
sense  miniature  summer  conferences  bringing 
together  for  counsel  and  prayer,  morning, 
afternoon,  and  evening,  for  three  consecutive 
days,  the  important  missionary  leaders  and 
committeemen  of  the  churches  of  a  city  and 
surrounding  towns. 

These  institutes  resemble  a  small  college  or 
school  more  than  they  do  the  average  yo^ung 


32 


33 


?0un5  l^tapitB  MlBBlcmrxi  Mmttmsnt 

people's  convention.  Recognizing  the  word  of 
God  as  fundamental  in  all  effective  missionary 
effort,  the  first  hour  in  each  day's  program  is 
usually  spent  in  devotional  study  of  the  Bible, 
aiming  especially  to  prepare  the  delegates  for 
the  leadership  of  Bible  classes  in  their  own 
churches.  Other  hours  of  each  day  are  given 
to  normal  mission  study  classes,  which  have 
for  their  purpose  the  preparation  of  the  dele- 
gates for  the  organization  and  conduct  of 
local  classes.  Provision  is  also  made  for  in- 
struction and  conference  concerning  the  work 
of  the  missionary  committee,  programs  for 
missionary  meetings,  the  use  of  missionary  lit- 
erature, the  promotion  of  Christian  steward- 
ship, prayer  for  missions,  and  similar  topics. 
At  least  one  hour  of  each  day  and  all  of  the 
evening  sessions  are  devoted  to  inspirational 
addresses  by  missioiuaries  or  other  prominent 
speakers  on  missionary  or  devotional  themes. 

The  Movement  has  had  responsibility  for  Unemtctt 
the  programs  in  twenty  institutes  of  this  type, 
attended  by  over  five  thousand  registered  del- 
egates, exclusive  of  the  much  larger  number 
who  attended  the  evening  and  other  inspira- 
tional sessions  that  were  open  to  the  public. 


©tatlalUfi 


^nung  ^rnpl^'a  iliBHtonarg  Movitmmt 


3ln£U»ttr?  of 


3lnBtttul^ 
Poltirg 


Including  the  denominational  missionary  con- 
ventions where  the  Movement  has  been  asked 
to  conduct  conferences  or  institutes  on  meth- 
ods, a  total  of  sixty-eight  conferences  have 
been  held,  with  an  attendance  of  22,365 
delegates,  who  returned  to  their  churches  bet- 
ter equipped  for  leadership. 

Many  encouraging  instances  could  be  cited 
of  delegates  who  at  these  institutes  have  been 
led  foT  the  first  time  to  consider  their  person- 
al relation  to  missionary  work  and  who  have 
offered  themselves  for  appointment  to  mission 
fields.  Even  more  numerous  are  the  instances 
of  delegates  who,  unable  to  go  to  the  field  in 
person,  have  been  used  to  arouse  a  mission- 
ary spirit  in  their  home  churches  and  cities. 

It  is  the  policy  O'f  the  Movement  to  hold 
each  year  not  less  than  twenty  of  these  insti- 
tutes in  the  leading  cities  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada.  In  addition  to  the  young  peo- 
ple's leaders  and  workers  of  the  city  in  which 
the  institute  is  held,  invitations  are  ten- 
dered to  representatives  from  the  churches  of 
smaller  cities  and  towns  within  a  radius  of 
about  one  hundred  miles.  By  studying  care- 
fully the  geographical  location  of  these  insti- 


34 


f  nuug  J^rnplr'fi  iEisstDnarg  ilourmrnt 


35 


tutes,  it  IS  expected  that  the  larger  part  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada  will  thus  be  reached 
each  year  with  these  training  conferences  for 
local  workers. 

Arrangements  are  now  being  made  where- 
by the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  and  the 
Young  People's  Missionary  Movement  will  co- 
operate with  the  Student  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Associations  in  a  series  of  institutes  o-r 
conferences  in  the  Theological  Seminaries, 
which  will  have  for  their  purpose  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  graduating  classes  of  theological 
students  in  methods  of  missionary  work  in 
the  churches.  It  is  believed  that  these  insti- 
tutes in  the  divinity  schools  will  greatly  assist 
in  the  development  of  a  missionary  pastorate, 
upon  which  the  solution  of  the  missionary 
problem  so  largely  depends. 

It  becomes  very  evident  that  an  educational 
campaign  of  the  magnitude  of  that  on  which 
the  Movement  has  entered  will  necessitate  the 
publication  of  an  extensive  literature,  prepared 
especially  to  suit  the  needs  of  the  work.  Soon 
after  its  organization  the  Movement  acquired 
the  publication  rights  of  the  Forward  Mission 
Study  Courses  and  of  the  Missionary  Cam- 


Publiratuin 


^oung  PropU'js  iMtBJBtottarg  MttM^nwnt 


Mtti}oh  of 
StatribMtUtg 


paign  Libraries,  which  had  been  published 
originally  to  meet  the  demands  created  by  the 
student  missionary  campaign  or  deputation 
work.  In  addition  to  these  it  has  published 
reference  libraries,  text-books,  maps,  charts, 
mission  study  helps,  Sunday-school  programs 
and  accessories  to  meet  the  rapidly  growing 
demand  for  suitable  missionary  literature  for 
young  people. 

This  literature  has  not  been  distributed  di- 
rect to  the  church  or  young  people's  society, 
but  through  the  offices  of  the  missionary 
boards.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  Movement 
to  avoid  any  communication  with  a  local 
church  that  would  tend  to  divert  the  corre- 
spondence or  support  of  the  congregation  from 
the  established  Ghurch  boards.  On  all  the 
publications  of  the  Movement,  and  especially 
on  the  text-books  and  mission  study  helps, 
there  is  placed,  whenever  possible,  the  im- 
print of  the  missionary  (board  which  sells  the 
books  to  its  constituency.  On  the  mission 
study  helps  is  also  printed  the  name  and  ad- 
dress of  the  board  secretary  to  whom  corre- 
spondence should  be  directed.  In  this  way 
the  Movement  is  able  to  fulfill  its  mission  of 


36 


foung  propIr'B  MtHBlnnarg  Mtmtnxtnt 


37 


serving  merely  as  the  official  clearing-house 
for  the  regular  missionary  boards,  always 
seeking  the  interests  of  the  Church,  aside  from 
which  service  the  Movement  claims  to  have  no 
reason  for  existence. 

The  output  of  literature  now  controlled  by 
the  Mo-vement,  includiTig  sales  before  and 
after  the  formal  o-rganization  of  the  Publica- 
tion Department,  comprises  seven  mission 
study  text-books  with  an  aggregate  sale  of 
192,731  volumes;  six  uniformly  bound  libra- 
ries or  sets  of  reference  books  of  from  seven 
to  twenty  volumes  in  each  library  and  of 
which  a  total  of  10^635  sets  or  169,847  vol- 
umes have  been  sold;  384,305  Mission  Study 
Class  Manuals,  Helps  for  Leaders,  announce- 
ments, and  other  accessories  for  mission 
study  class  work;  7,971  maps;  15,000  wall 
charts;  14,541  programs  and  other  literature 
on  the  Sunday-school  and  missions;  besides 
several  pamphlet  publications  of  a  general 
missionary  character.* 

In  addition  to  the  above  figures,  which  in- 
clude actual  sales  only,  mention  may  well 
be  made  of  the  two  mission  study  text-books 


Baita  of 


lEmttonfl 


*Statistics  to  May  i,  1906. 


^ttSintntta 


that  are  now  on  the  press,  one  Oif  which  is 
being  printed  in  a  first  edition  of  75,000 
copies — probably  the  largest  single  edition 
ever  published  O'f  any  book  dealing  with  Chris- 
tian Missions.  Well  may  the  Church  render 
thanks  for  the  quickening  of  missionary  in- 
terest among  the  young  people,  which  has 
created  this  unprecedented  demand  for  tid- 
ings from  the  field. 
3ffar-Il0arI|!«g  After  all,  these  statistics  of  the  Publication 
Department  have  only  a  commercial  value 
except  as  we  look  beyond  the  literature  into 
the  lives  that  are  being  reached.  The  sale 
of  one  hundred  and  ninety-two  thousand 
volumes  of  Forward  Mission  Study  Text- 
books means  that  approximately  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-two  thousand  young  people 
have  been  meeting  week  after  week,  for  a 
careful,  prayerful  study  of  the  progress  of 
the  kingdom  of  Goid  on  mission  fields.  No 
one  can  tabulate  the  far-reaching  influences 
that  radiate  from  the  lives  of  these  tliousands 
of  mission  study  class  members,  resulting  as 
the  many  reports  testify,  in  increased  giv- 
ing to  missions,  a  deeper  prayer  life,  and  a  38 
general  spiritual  quickening  and  consecration 


ilHtBBiiitl 


to  distinctively  Christian  and  missionary  work. 

The  whole  church  quickly  feels  the  new  pul-  Witstdta  of 
sating  life  of  the  study  class,  and  as  the  years 
go  on  the  influence  of  the  work  will  be  increas- 
ingly felt  in  every  mission  field  of  the  world. 
In  one  mission  study  class  of  twenty-three 
members,  six  persons  have  volunteered  for 
service  on  the  mission  field  since  beginning 
the  study.  In  another  class  there  have  been 
four  volunteers  for  the  foreign  field,  not  one 
of  whom,  so  far  as  the  teacher  can  learn, 
would  have  seriously  considered  the  v/ork  had 
it  not  been  for  the  enlarged  vision  that  came 
to  them  as  a  result  of  their  study.  In  another 
class  two  have  volunteered.  These  are  only 
three  classes  out  of  the  thousands  that  have 
been  formed,  and  the  information  concerning 
these  classes  came  incidentally  rather  than 
through  systematic  inquiry.  While  perhaps 
few  classes  have  called  out  their  own  mission- 
ary for  the  field,  it  cannot  be  douibted  that 
most  of  the  young  people  who  have  been  en- 
gaged in  this  study  of  missions  have  come 
from  the  class  sessions  with  nobler  purposes 
39  in  life,  and  higher  ideals  of  Christian  steward- 
ship and  service,  than  they  could  possibly  have 


fomtg  J^ropk'a  MxBBmmr^  ilcnfmrnt 


iMettapalitan 

^tfiBtXltt 

(Emapui^nB 


had  without  the  study  of  the  achievements  and 
heroism  of  Christian  missions. 

The  organization  and  conduct  of  mission 
study  classes  is  rapidly  becoming  a  science  to 
which  an  increasing  number  of  leaders  are  de- 
voting themselves.  In  some  metropolitan 
centers  a  carefully  prepared  campaign  is  in- 
augurated in  the  early  spring,  for  the  organ- 
ization and  supervision  o-f  classes  during  the 
following  winter.  During  the  spring  months 
a  normal  class  is  organized  for  the  advance 
instruction  of  those  who'  will  agree  to  teach 
other  normal  classes  in  the  early  autumn.  Sev- 
eral of  the  best  leaders  and  organizers  are 
sent  as  delegates  to  the  summer  conferences. 
These  delegates  and  others  teach  a  series  of 
normal  classes  during  the  early  autumn,  pre- 
paring and  training  leaders  for  classes  in  the 
churches  during  the  winter.  In  this  way,  well- 
trained  and  experienced  teachers  were  pro- 
vided for  one  hundred  and  eight  classes  that 
were  conducted  in  one  city  during  a  single 
season. 

A  new  vocation  of  mission  study  class  leader 
is  being  created.  One  young  woman  as  a 
voluntary    service    has    taught    twenty-four 


40 


floung  l^tapltB  MiBBxamrji  MuMtmmt 


41 


classes,  nine  of  them  in  the  course  of  a  sin- 
gle winter.  Others  have  taught  six  and  seven 
classes  during  a  season,  while  one  missionary 
secretary,  who  gives  himself  largely  to  the 
work,  has  taught  more  than  sixty  classes. 

Time  was  when  the  church  that  had  one 
mission  study  class  was  regarded  as  quite 
progressive.  Now  two  or  more  classes  are  not 
infrequently  organized  in  one  church.  Some 
have  as  many  as  five  or  six,  while  at  least  one 
church  has  eight  classes,  which  the  pastor 
regards  as  one  of  the  greatest  sources  of 
power  in  his  exceptionally  spiritual  and  well- 
known  missionary  congregation. 

One  could  scarcely  desire  more  inspiring 
reading  than  the  hundreds  of  extracts  that 
could  be  quoted  from  letters  of  mission  study 
class  leaders  and  members,  whose  spiritual 
life  and  purpose  has  been  quickened  and  given 
new  direction  and  power  by  the  vision  that 
they  have  had  oi  the  world's  need.  The  direct 
answers  to  prayer  that  are  so  abundant  and 
so  manifest  on  the  mission  field  have  strength- 
ened Christian  faith.  The  sacrifices  and  devo- 
tion of  the  missionaries  have  appealed  to  and 
drawn  out  the  noblest  qualities   in  manhood 


(SiinBatB  in 


3nfiMtnnn 


^0Utt9  l^tapitB  MxBBwnuY^  ilnu^m^nt 


S»«ttJiag- 


and  womanhood.  A  sincere  study  of  mis- 
sions has  corrected  false  impressions  concern- 
ing missionary  work  and  Vanished  that  incon- 
clusive thinking  that  so  frequently  condemns 
unsparingly  the  missionary  cause  without  ex- 
amination. Winter  evenings  have  been  spent 
studying  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  mis- 
sion lands,  when  otherwise  the  time  would 
have  been  passed  in  indolence  or  profitless 
reading,  if  not  in  amusements  that  tend  to 
undermine  rather  than  build  up  Christian  faith 
and  character.  Facing  the  facts  of  missions 
has  removed  doubts  concerning  fundamental 
Christian  doctrines;  and  non-Christians  have 
been  brought  through  a  study  of  the  mir- 
acles of  missions  to  accept  Christ  as  a  personal 
Saviour. 

Great  as  is  the  work  that  has  been  accom- 
plished and  is  still  to  be  done  through  mission 
study  classes  and  otherwise  among  the  5,000,- 
000  members  of  young  people's  societies,  it  is 
second  in  strategic  importance  to  the  opportu- 
nity in  the  Sunday-school  field  with  its  14,- 
000,000  members  who  for  the  most  part  are 
just  at  that  period  in  life  when  the  deepest 
religious  impressions  are  being  made. 


42 


flnung  P^npb'a  i^tHBinttarg  iHnurmrnt 


43 


The  Movement  is  now  co-operating  with 
Sunday-school  and  missionary  authorities  in 
the  cultivation  of  this  inadequately  con- 
sidered field.  Two  conferences*  have  been 
called  of  secretaries  of  Sunday-school  organ- 
izations and  missionary  boards  and  of  other 
persons  who  are  especially  interested  in  the 
subject  o.f  missionary  instruction  in  the  Sun- 
day-school. The  aim  is  to  secure  the  best 
judgment  of  the  foremosl;  leaders  in  Sunday- 
school  and  missionary  work  of  the  various 
Churches  and  to  outline  the  policy  of  the 
Movement  in  such  a  way  as  to  render 
the  largest  possible  service  to  the  Sunday- 
school  and  missionary  boards.  The  Movement 
has  published  a  manual  of  over  200  pages  on 
''Missions  in  the  Sunday  School," giving  plans 
and  suggestions  concerning  the  missionary  ac- 
tivities of  the  Sunday-school. 

The  work,  as  at  present  inaugurated,  begins 
with  'the  youngest  children  in  the  Sunday- 
school  and  applies  to  the  primary  department 
some  of  the  same  principles  that  modern  ped- 


*  At  the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church, 
New  York  City,  November  18,  1905,  and  at  Silver 
Bay  on  Lake  George,  July    17-19,  1906. 


an  i0SiiaBiatta 
»cljnai 


^ttbag- 
^tijaai 


^0un9  P^opb*a  M\B&\annr^  Maxxtrntnt 

agogy  finds  of  such  fundamental  importance 
in  kindergarten  work.  A  box  of  curios  or 
object-lessons  has  been  prepared  for  the  chil- 
dren of  this  department.  In  addition  to  the 
object-lesso-ns,  postal  cards,  and  other  helps  for 
juniors,  there  have  been  prepared  and  pub- 
lished a  series  of  programs  for  the  intermedi- 
ate department  of  the  Sunday-school.  Other 
material  and  helps  will  be  provided  as  early  as 
possible. 
MlBBionax^i  In  connection  with  all  of  the  summer  con- 
ferences and  missionary  institutes  of  the 
Movement,  there  have  been  more  or  less  ex- 
tensive and  carefully  classified  missionary 
exhibits,  showing  the  literature  and  work  of 
the  various  missionary  boards.  This  ex- 
hibit usually  requires  a  good-sized  hall  or 
Sunday-school  room  for  its  display,  and  has 
proven  a  most  helpful  adjunct  to  the  confer- 
ences, serving  as  a  laboratory  where  the  ma- 
terial available  for  missionary  work  can  be 
examined.  Not  only  has  this  exhibit  been  dis- 
played in  connection  with  the  thirty-three 
summer  conferences  and  institutes  that  have 
been  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Movement,  44 
but  it  has  been  loaned  for  use  at  nine  national 


pr  international,  denominational  or  general 
missionary  gatherings,  while  portions  of  it 
have  been  furnished  to  numerous  state  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  and  other  young  people's  con- 
ventions. 

More  important,  however,  than  any  of  these  Kfrruila  for 
statistical  statements,  has  been  the  reflex  in-  -»f,v"'^*^" 
fluence  of  the  missionary  work  upon  the  gen- 
eral spiritual  life  and  work  of  the  Church. 
Though  the  Movement  does  not  aim  primarily 
to  secure  volunteers  for  missionary  service,  it 
is  a  most  encouraging  fact  that  as  an  indirect 
result  of  the  summer  conferences  more  than  a 
score  of  the  delegates  are  now  in  actual  ser- 
vice on  the  field,  and  a  much  larger  number 
have  offered  themselves  to  their  boards  and 
are  now  in  course  of  ipreparation.  Although 
it  is  very  difficult  to  secure  accurate  statistical 
info-rmation,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  mission  study  campaign,  reaching  a 
much  larger  number  than  do  the  summer  con- 
ferences, is  resulting  in  a  larger  offering  of 
life  than  has  been  secured  at  the  conferences. 
It  is  hard  for  any  one  of  the  nearly  a  quarter 
45  of  a  million  persons  reached  directly  by  these 
conferences  and  mission  study  classes  to  avoid 


f  omtg  3Prnpb*0  iltjaBtonarg  ilniirmrnt 


3BittmxtB  for 


MiBB\xmw:^ 


facing  the  supreme  question  as  to  where  he 
can  invest  his  Hfe  to  the  best  advantage  in 
the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Gratifying  as  is  the  offering  for  foreign 
service,  there  has  prohahly  been  an  even  larger 
number  of  persons  who  have  entered  home 
mission  work  from  the  summer  conferences 
and  study  classes  than  have  entered  foreign 
work.  The  home  mission  study  text-books  pub- 
lished by  the  Movement  were  the  first  books 
of  the  character  on  home  missions  ever  pre- 
pared expressly  for  young  people.  The  study  of 
"Heroes  of  the  Cross  in  America"  and  ''Aliens 
or  Americans,"  dealing  with  problems  that  af- 
fect so  vitally  the  home  base  of  missionary  ef- 
fort, appeal  strongly  to  the  missionary  spirit 
and  the  patriotism  of  any  thoughtful  student. 

The  mission  study  class  especially  is  prov- 
ing an  important  ajgency  in  recruiting  the 
Christian  ministry.  In  one  mission  study  class 
of  sixteen  members,  composed  very  largely  of 
persons  under  twenty  years  of  age,  whose 
life  purposes  were  not  fully  formed,  there 
were,  in  addition  to  two  persons  who  are  to 
enter  distinctively  Christian  work  in  the  home- 
land,   two    young    men    who    as    a     result 


46 


of  their  study  left  business  for  college,  to  pre- 
pare for  the  Christian  ministry  either  at  home 
or  abroad.  It  is  only  natural,  if  not  inevitable, 
that  a  number  of  persons  who,  after  they  have 
learned  of  the  heroism  of  Christian  mission- 
aries, will  long  for  a  similar  service,  and  find- 
ing the  doors  closed  to  such  service  as  the 
missionaries  are  permitted  to  render,  will  en- 
ter into  the  largest  possible  heritage  of  ser- 
vice at  home.  To  the  increasing  thousands 
who  are  engaged  in  this  study  of  Christian 
missions,  the  Church  may  well  look  for  re- 
cruits to  the  missionary  pastorate. 

The  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement  (EtjrtHttmt 
through  the  mission  study  classes  is  reaching  ^i^^^^^^W 
a  type  of  prosperous  young  business  men  that 
heretofore  have  not  been  reached  by  any  other 
agency.  The  study  of  conditions  in  mission 
lands  and  the  effective  class  woirk  that  is  done 
is  of  sufficient  dignity  and  practical  value  to 
command  the  respect  and  win  the  confidence 
of  young  business  men,  who,  within  a  few 
years,  will  control  the  money  that  is  needed 
for  the  extension  of  the  wc-rk  of  the  mission- 
47  ary  boards.  Already  there  are  frequent  in- 
stances of  young  men   engaged    in   business 


^oung  J^rnpl^  a  MiBBlcnur^  Maxttmtnt 


upon 
Mtmbtra 


Cdontrtbtttuin 
la  (EnU^s^fi 


who,  unable  to  go  to  the  field  in  person,  have, 
as  a  result  of  their  study  and  knowledge  of 
the  conditions,  definitely  committed  themselves 
to  the  support  of  certain  portions  of  mission- 
ary work. 

Much  might  be  said,  too,  of  the  value  of 
this  mission  study  campaign  in  reaching  the 
older  members  of  the  Churches  and  that  con- 
servative class  whose  social  and  other  affilia- 
tions keep  them  more  or  less  aloof  from  the 
activities  of  the  average  yo^ung  people's  so- 
ciety. In  many  of  the  larger  city  churches, 
where  the  work  of  the  young  people's  society 
has  failed  to  grip  the  attention  o-f  the  so- 
called  leaders,  it  has  been  possible  to  organize 
drawing-room  study  classes  and  to  conduct 
them  with  such  interest  as  almost  invariably 
to  demand  a  similar  course  of  study  for  the 
ensuing  year. 

There  is  an  increasing  number  of  young 
men  and  women  who  in  'the  mission  study 
classes  or  in  the  missionary  work  in  the  Sun- 
day-schools and  young  people's  societies  are 
catching  the  world  vision,  and  with  that  vis- 
ion come  to  feel  the  need  of  better  preparation 
for  their  life  work,  whatever  that  life  work 


48 


f  nuttg  prnpk'a  iEtaaiottartr  Mmmxtnt 


49 


may  be.  It  is  this  influence  which  has  led 
some  from  the  summer  conferences,  the  insti- 
tutes and  the  study  classes  to  enter  college, 
in  preparation  for  distinctly   Christian  work. 

It  has  been  a  source  of  pleasure  to  see  with 
what  unanimity  returned  missionaries,  after 
seeing  the  young  people's  work  in  the  home- 
land, express  their  gratitude  for  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  home  churches. 
A  recent  inquiry  from  a  number  of  mis- 
sionaries as  to  what  was  the  greatest  ob- 
stacle to  the  world's  evangelization,  elicited  a 
unanimous  reply,  that  it  was  not  the  problem 
presented  by  the  heathen  religions  nor  the 
sacrifice  and  hardships  involved  in  the  ser- 
vice, but  the  indifference  of  God's  people  in 
the  homeland.  Missionaries  testify  that  noth- 
ing at  this  time  has  given  them  greater  en- 
couragement in  the  field  than  to  know  of  the 
progress  of  this  missionary  movement  among 
the  young  people. 

It  would  not  be  right  to  omit  mention  of 
the  emphasis  w^hich  the  Movement  is  placing 
upon  the  study  of  the  Word  Oif  God.  An  hour 
of  each  day  at  all  of  the  summer  conferences 
and  institutes  is  devoted  to   such  study,  and 


©pHttmottg  at 
MxBzianviVitB 


lEmpljuBxa 
txpaxt  SibU 


50tttt0  l^tapitB  lEtaBiflttarg  Mantmmt 

the  aim  of  the  'hour  is  not  only  to  get  inspira- 
tional preparation  for  the  work  of  the  insti- 
tute, but  so  to  train  the  delegates  that  upon 
their  return  to  their  home  churches  they  will 
be  instrumental  in  the  organization  and  con- 
duct of  similar  Bible  classes  for  young  people. 
In  addition  to  the  Bible  work  at  the  summer 
conferences  and  institutes,  it  is  a  noteworthy 
fact  that  many  of  the  members  of  the  mission 
study  classes  form  the  habit  of  observing  the 
Morning  Watch.  Certain  boards  prepare 
special  prayer  cycles  or  calendars  for  the  use 
of  the  class  members  in  connection  with  this 
daily  Bible  study  and  prayer. 
^romottatt  It  is  impossible  for  large  numbers  of 
young  people  to  engage  in  the  study  of 
conditions  in  the  mission  field,  combined 
with  the  study  of  God's  Word,  without 
feeling  persuaded  to  use  the  greatest  mis- 
sionary force  that  God  has  entrusted  to 
his  people — intercessory  prayer.  Even  though 
this  educational  campaign  among  young  peo- 
ple did  not  secure  a  single  missionary  for  the 
field,  and  tho^ugh  it  did  not  result  in  increased 
giving,  which  things  are  inconceivable,  it  ^o 
would  none  the  less  be  almost  indispensable 


of  l^ragrr 


loung  l^tapltB  iltBBtnnarg  iMnnrmritt 


51 


as  a  means  of  securing  more  intelligent  prayer 
for  the  world's  evangelization. 

One  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  the 
Movement  is  loyalty  to.  existing  denomination- 
al agencies.  A  primary  aim  of  the  Move- 
ment is  to  assist  the  boards  in  the  organiza- 
tion and  development  of  Young  People's  work. 
At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  Mo-ve- 
ment,  a  little  more  than  three  years  ago,  there 
were  but  four  clearly  defined  Young  People's 
Departments  in  all  the  boards  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  Exclusive  of  the  wo- 
men's boards,  there  are  to-day  twenty-one 
general  boards  having  more  or  less  clearly  de- 
fined young  people's  work,  and  employing  a 
large  part  or  all  of  the  time  of  sixteen  men 
and  six  women,  in  addition  to  clerical  force 
in  the  supervision  and  development  of  the 
work.  These  figures  do  not  include  the  secre- 
taries of  the  Young  People's  Missionary 
Moivement,  whose  time  is  devoted  to  the  same 
work.  Other  boards  are  now  engaged  in  the 
organization  of  young  people's  departments, 
and  a  total  of  thirty-two  boards  have  availed 
themselves  of  the  pubHcations  of  the  Young 
People's  Missionary  Movement. 


txnttol 


5o«n0  l^tapitB  MxBmonnr^  Mmttmtnt 


ttaltnnal 


Jff^liifrattiin 


Not  only  have  several  denominations  been 
led  to  commence  work  among  their  young  peo- 
ple, but  it  is  apparent  that  the  ideas,  ideals, 
methods,  achievements,  and  experiences  of 
•each  denomination  have  been  improved  by  the 
increased  knowledge  and  facilities  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  all  denominations  through  the 
Movement.  This  aid  has  been  at  the  command 
of  all  church  organizations.  Work  has  been 
accomplished  in  some  of  the  smaller  denomina- 
tions that  would  have  been  utterly  impossible 
had  it  not  been  for  this  federation  of  interest 
which  brings  strength. 

The  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement 
is  rendering  an  important  service  in  bringing 
the  different  sections  of  NoTth  America  and 
the  various  Churches  of  Christendom  into  one- 
ness of  spirit  and  purpose.  This  result  has 
been  especially  manifest  at  the  summer 
conferences.  In  these  conferences  there  is 
a  unity  of  Christian  fellowship  which  almost 
eludes  denominational  analysis.  When  the 
strongest  young  people  of  a  sco-re  or  more  de- 
nominations unite  in  such  conferences,  mis- 
sionary institutes,  and  in  the  study  of  the  same 
text-books  on  Christian    missions,    using    the 


52 


f  0Uttg  ppnplr'B  iltBatonara  Maxitmtnt 

same  helps  and  plans,  it  cannot  but  prove  a 
mighty  factor  toward  breaking  down  any  de- 
nominational walls  that  may  impede  the  prog- 
ress of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Such  federa- 
tion is  of  itself  an  important  apologetic  to  say 
nothing  of  the  increased  practical  efficiency 
that  it  insures. 

While  Christian  workers   have  been  pray-      SnUrnatwinal 
ing,    working    and     rejoicing    in    his    lead-      ft^a^«- 


ership  in  the  American  Churches,  the  same 
Spirit  has  been  moving  in  the  hearts  and  lives 
of  the  young  people's  leaders  of  Great  Britain. 
Already  there  have  been  organized  in  England 
a  series  of  summer  conferences,  a  mission 
study  campaign,  and  in  one  missionary  society 
a  young  people's  department  with  plans  for 
the  full  time  of  three  secretaries  and  a  com- 
prehensive scheme  oi  work  which  in  some  re- 
gards surpasses  anything  that  has  yet  been 
achieved  in  America.  There  are  special  man- 
ifestations O'f  the  Spirit  in  some  of  the  largest 
Protestant  countries  of  Europe,  and  in  India, 
China,  and  other  mission  lands  that  seem  to 
indicate  that  the  time  is  dawning  for  a 
53  united  effort  of  the  young  people  of  Christen- 
dom, in  college  and  out  of  college,  for  the 


Bi|ipfl 


establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  * 
througihout  the  whole  world. 
Pronibrnttal  It  has  frequently  been  said  that  the  Move- 
m  anr?  ment  was  born  in  prayer.  It  is  true  that 
during  the  first  days  at  Silver  Bay  in  1902  the 
members  of  the  Executive  Committee  were 
very  dependent  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  for  guid- 
ance, and  since  that  day  the  Movement  has 
been  led  through  prayer  in  a  way  that  it  knew 
not.  Every  important  step  has  been  marked  by 
prayer,  and  frequently  the  Great  Leader  has 
answered  prayer  beyond  all  that  one  could  ask 
or  think.  There  has  not  been  an  important 
contribution  oi  money  that  has  come  to  the 
treasury  during  the  last  three  years  that  can- 
not be  traced  very  directly  to  definite  prayer 
made  for  that  contribution.  His  guidance  and 
power  have  been  assured  from  the  time  of  the 
first  call,  but  his  leadings  have  been  so  won- 
derful that  the  weak  faith  of  the  workers  has 
been  repeatedly  re'buked  by  the  fulness  of  the 
answer  that  he  (has  given.  It  is  the  Lord's 
doings  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes.  This 
is  the  day  Which  the  Lord  hath  made.  We  54 
will  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it. 


FORECAST 


57 


In  any  forecast  of  the  possibilities  of  the 
Young  People's  Missionary  Movement,  as 
well  as  in  the  survey  of  past  achievements,  it 
is  important  that  the  character  of  the  organi- 
zation be  kept  clearly  in  mind.  The  Move- 
ment exists  as  a  medium  of  co-operation  for 
the  young  people's  departments  of  the  various 
missionary  iboards,  and  attempts  no  independ- 
ent work  in  the  churches.  The  policy  and  all 
of  the  activities  of  the  Movement  are  under 
the  immediate  control  of  board  secretaries, 
who  direct  the  work  in  the  interests  of  the 
boards.  Therefo^re,  any  statement  concerning 
achievements  and  possibilities  is  to  be 
regarded  as  the  work  of  the  Young  People's 
Missionary  Movement  only  in  so  far  as 
the  Alovement  is  a  federation  of  regular 
Church  missionary  agencies.  This  forecast 
is  not  to  be  interpreted  as  a  prophecy  of  what 
the  Movement  will  achieve.  Between  possi- 
bilities and  achievements  there  is  a  great  gulf. 
The  following  pages  are  intended  only  to 
indicate  some  unoccupied  and,  in  some  in- 
stances, almost  unexplored  fields  that  are  be- 


Mavtmtnt 
a  Cl^artng 


f 0«ttg  l^taplBB  MlBBmnut^  Muntrnttit 

fore  the  Christian  Church.  The  Holy  Spirit 
will  doubtless  use  many  agencies  and  com- 
binations of  agencies  in  the  development 
of  these  fields.  The  particular  part  the 
Young  People's  Missionary  Movement  is  to 
have  in  the  work  does  not  fully  appear,  nor  is 
it  a  matter  of  any  importance,  so  long  as  all  of 
the  forces  of  the  Christian  Church  are  uniting 
their  highest  energies  for  the  establishment  o^f 
the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  throughout  the 
whole  earth.  It  would  seem  that  for  many 
decades  to  come,  and  perhaps  until  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  great  commission,  the  Church 
missionary  boards  must  be  the  recognized  of- 
ficial mediums  for  the  promotion  of  missionary 
work.  It  is  as  the  agent  of  these  established 
boards  that  the  Young  People's  Missionary 
Movement  stands  ready  to  render  such  service 
as  the  secretaries  of  these  boards  may  from 
time  to  time  direct. 
l&mtmpith  If  the  leaders  of  the  Movement  should  be 
tempted  to  view  with  pride  the  achievements 
of  the  last  three  years,  it  is  only  necessary  to 
glance  at  the  work  that  is  yet  undone  to  be 
humbled  and  brought  afresh  to  a  realization 
of  dependence  upon  superhuman  power.    It  is 


mM» 


58 


gratifying  that  within  so  brief  a  period  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  young  people  have 
been  enlisted  in  the  systematic  study  of  Chris- 
tian missions.  Each  succeeding  year  of  the 
Movement's  history  has  wrought  nearly  a 
doubHng  of  the  enrolment,  but  these  one 
hundred  thousand  study  class  members  are 
only  a  little  leaven  among  the  millions  of 
members  of  Sunday-schools  and  young  peo- 
ple's organizations  who  are  not  receiving 
adequate  instruction  and  whose  interest  and 
co-operation  must  be  secured  if  the  world  is  to 
be  evangelized  in  this  generation. 

To  prepare  so  vast  an  army  of  workers  ^txmmtt 
more  training  schools  will  be  required.  Al-  <^^^^^^^^^ 
ready  it  is  necessary  each  summer  to  refuse 
the  applications  of  hundreds  of  workers  who 
desire  to  enrol  at  the  summer  conferences  of 
the  Movement,  but  who  cannot  be  accom- 
modated by  the  present  facilities.  To  pro- 
vide training  conferences  for  these  wo^rkers 
who  are  annually  turned  away  and  also  for 
the  larger  numher  who  reside  in  sections  too 
remote  to  be  reached  from  the  present  centers, 
^^  it  is  necessary  to  increase  the  number  of  these 
conferences. 


^0ung  pf  flpb'a  iHaaionara  Mammtnt 


iltt0tititt?B 


for 


EMtortal  anh 
PubUratioti 


The  Missionary  Institutes  held  in  the  larger 
centers  during  the  fall  and  winter  months  and 
reaching  a  broader  circle  of  workers  must 
also  be  increased  in  number  if  the  campaign  in 
the  cities  and  smaller  towns  is  to  attain  its 
maximum  power. 

An  impoTtant  service  would  be  rendered  if 
in  consultation  and  co-operation  with  denom- 
inational leaders  smaller  conferences  could  be 
arranged  for  missionary  specialists.  These 
might  include  conferences  of  state  and  district 
superintendents  of  young  people's  organiza- 
tions, missionary  editors,  national  Sunday- 
school  leaders,  and  training  conferences  for 
normal  mission  study  class  teachers  and  met- 
ropolitan committeemen. 

There  is  an  almo'st  unlimited  field  before 
the  Editorial  and  Publication  departments  of 
the  Movement  in  the  preparation  and  produc- 
tion of  mission  study  text-books,  libraries, 
maps,  charts,  Sunday-school  and  other  mission- 
ary programs  and  literature.  The  advantages 
of  the  co-operative  principle  in  this  work  have 
already  been  demonstrated,  and  in  the  future 
may  become  even  more  apparent  in  the  pro- 
duction  of   high-grade   missionary   literature, 


60 


6i 


maps,  and  accessories,  such  as  the  individual 
boards  need,  but  separately  have  not  the  re- 
sources to  produce.  This  publication  work  of 
the  Movement  has  been  and  should  continue 
to  be  self-supporting.  However,  an  early  in- 
crease in  the  capitalization  or  endowment  of 
the  publication  department  is  imperative,  if 
the  Movement  is  to  provide  the  number  of 
publications  and  the  phenomenally  large 
editions  of  missionary  literature  for  young 
people  that  are  now  being  demanded. 

Nearly  all  mission  study  classes  have  been  Qlrahtittgnf 
eager  to  begin  a  second  course  of  mission  ^^^^^^'^ 
study  after  the  completion  of  the  first,  but 
effective  as  the  mission  study  classes  have 
been,  the  work  must  be  more  carefully  and  ag- 
gressively prosecuted  if  the  mass  of  young 
people  are  to  be  reached  who  are  as  yet  al- 
most wholly  ignorant  of  what  the  army  of 
conquest  and  occupation  is  doing  in  the  mis- 
sion fields.  Provision  must  be  made  for  the 
organization  of  normal  study  classes  for  teach- 
ers, for  a  definite  plan  of  campaign  in  every 
important  metropolitan  center  and  for  the 
maintenance  of  that  high  grade  of  work  which 
is  essential  to  command  and  retain  the  intelli- 


f  0tttt5  Ptnplp*a  iMtHBtnttani  Mmtmtnt 


#uttl»ag 


^qtxfBt  far 
Co-operation 


gent  interest  and  confidence  of  the  progressive 
young  people  of  North  America. 

The  Sunday-schools  of  North  America  con- 
stitute a  great  unexplored  continent  upon 
whose  shores  an  adequate  base  of  operations 
is  but  now  being  firmly  established.  Within  the 
Sunday-schools  alone  is  sufficient  latent  power 
tO'  solve  the  entire  missionary  problem  of  the 
Church.  All  leaders  recognize  the  dearth  of 
appropriate  and  attractive  missionary  litera- 
ture for  children,  who  as  a  class  are  most  re- 
sponsive to  the  missionary  message.  The  pre- 
paration of  juvenile  missionary  libraries,  ob- 
ject-lessons, supplementary  programs,  and 
text-books  for  adults  must  be  regarded  as 
only  the  preliminary  steps  toward  occupying 
this  vitally  important  field  with  missionary  in- 
struction. 

The  International  Sunday  School  Editorial 
Association  at  its  recent  annual  meeting,  by 
formal  resolution  specifically  requested,  "The 
Young  People's  Missionary  Movement  to 
furnish  to  all  lesson  help  editors  syndicated 
missionary  material,  including  both  reading 
matter  and  pictures  which  can  be  currently  or 
incidentally  used  in  any  and  every  department 


62 


^nung  ppnplp'fi  iMtBBtuttarij  MttMtmtnt 


63 


of  their  various  periodicals."  The  Movement 
was  further  requested  "to  confer  with  the  mis- 
sionary societies  concerning  the  feasibihty  of 
preparing  supplemental  missionary  lessons  for 
use  in  the  Sunday-school."  Thus  there  is  of- 
fered to  the  Movement  in  the  Sunday-schools 
an  open  door  presenting  an  unparalleled  op- 
portunity and  demanding  immediate  consider- 
ation. 

The  experiments  of  the  last  three  or  four 
years  have  demonstrated  the  value  and  possi- 
bilities of  the  missionary  exhibit  as  an  edu- 
cational force  in  missions.  It  is  expected  that 
by  the  improvement  and  enlargement  of  these 
missionary  exhibits  the  Movement  will  be 
able  to  bring  more  graphically  to  tlie  Chris- 
tian public  a  representation  of  the  achieve- 
ments and  needs  on  the  mission  fields  as  well 
as  of  the  literature,  and  policies,  of  the  various 
missionary  boards. 

But  more  vital  than  any  of  these  important 
educational  agencies  is  the  ever-urgent  need 
of  the  mission  fields  for  consecrated  lives.  The 
Movement  will  fulfill  its  highest  mission  only 
as  it  brings  to  the  young  manhood  and  woman- 
hood of  America  the  call  to  personal  evangel- 


MxBBiatmrrs 
Sxlyihtl 


"^tth  far 
MxBBxanuntB 


ism.  The  work  at  scores  of  mission  stations 
is  being  crippled  through  lack  of  workers  and 
equipment,  in  some  instances  the  retirement 
of  broken-down  and  overworked  missionaries 
having  necessitated  positive  retrenchment  in 
the  face  of  unprecedented  opportunities  for 
service. 
(EaU  nf  At  the  Thirteenth  Annual  Conference  of  the 
MiuBinttarg  Secretaries  of  the  Foreig-n  Missionary  Boards 
of  America,  held  preceding  the  Student  Vol- 
unteer Convention,  at  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
February  28  to  March  4,  1906,  the  following 
resolutions  were  adopted,  calling  for  one  thou- 
sand volunteers  per  year  until  the  fields  are 
occupied : 

"That  it  is  the  judgment  of  this  Conference  that 
in  order  to  arouse  the  Churches  to  a  sense  of  their 
privilege  and  responsibility,  and  in  order  to  meet 
but  inadequately  the  present  needs  in  the  mission 
fields  under  the  boards  represented  by  this  Confer- 
ence, there  ought  to  be  at  least  one  thousand  volun- 
teers ready  to  be  sent  each  year  until  those  fields  are 
occupied  in   force. 

"That  we  appeal  to  the  students  represented  in 
this  quadrennial  students'  convention  that  they  by 
asking  to  be  sent  to  these  needy  waiting  fields  a 
thousand  strong  each  year,  challenge  the  Churches,  5^ 
where  final  responsibility  must  rest,  to  provide  the 
necessary  funds." 


?0«ttg  l^tapltsi  MlBBxamr^  Mimtmmt 


65 


If  these  one  thousand  missionaries  per 
year  are  to  be  sent  to  the  foreign  field 
and  adequate  reinforcements  secured  for  home 
mission  work,  it  is  probable  that  the  call  will 
come  to  many  through  the  educational  cam- 
paign to  which  the  Young  People's  Missionary 
Movement  is  committed. 

There  is  a  considerable  loss  to  the  Chris- 
tian Church  in  the  transition  of  the  college 
student  from  the  activities  of  the  student 
Christian  Association  to  that  of  the  local 
church.  Thousands  of  college  students  who 
have  had  rare  training  in  student  Christian  As- 
sociation work,  upon  their  graduation  lapse  in- 
to inactivity  through  lack  of  definite  responsi- 
bility for  the  work  of  the  local  church,  com- 
bined with  the  pressure  that  is  upon  them  in 
getting  their  foothold  in  commercial  or  profes- 
sional life.  The  Young  People's  Mission- 
ary Movement  co-operating  with  the  Student 
Movement  seeks  by  a  systematic  classification 
of  college  records  and  through  the  various 
missionary  boards  to  utilize  in  the  Churches, 
especially  as  metropolitan  and  normal  mission 
study  class  leaders,  the  special  training  which 
these  students  have  had  in  Christian  work  in 
their  colleges. 


of  #luhfnt 


f  0tttt9  l^tapltB  ilt0Btnnar^  MuMtmtnt 


Waxk 


In  the  rapid  progress  of  missionary  interest 
among  the  non-college  young  people  the 
student  missionary  campaign  work,  to 
which  the  Young  People's  Missionary  Move- 
ment owes  its  origin,  has  been  some- 
what held  in  abeyance.  With  the  further  de- 
velopment of  the  Young  People's  Movement 
some  adequate  plan  will  be  elaborated  to  util- 
ize the  time  of  the  hundreds  of  student  volun- 
teers who  are  graduating  from  the  colleges, 
many  of  whom  are  detained  at  home  for  a 
period  and  who  could  be  towers  of  strength 
to  the  missionary  cause  if  wisely  used  in  depu- 
tation work. 

Mudh  is  being  said  now  regarding  the  lack 
of  qualified  candidates  for  the  Christian  min- 
istry. The  missionary  uprising  amo^ng  young 
people  while  aiming  primarily  to  influence 
the  work  on  mission  fields  must  necessarily 
have  an  important  and  direct  influence  in 
increasing  the  number  of  young  men  who  en- 
ter the  ministry.  It  is  impossible  for  thou- 
sands of  young  men  to  engage  in  a  prayerful 
study  of  missionary  problems  in  a  mission 
study  class  without  giving  more  serious  and 
unselfish  consideration  to  the  question  of  dis- 


66 


tinctively  Christian  work  than  would  other- 
wise have  been  given.  There  is  also  an  im- 
portant work  for  the  Student  Department  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and 
the  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement  to 
do  conjointly  in  arousing  a  deep  missionary  in- 
terest on  the  part  of  the  twelve  hundred  divin- 
ity students  who  graduate  each  year  from  the 
theological  seminaries  into  the  leadership  of 
churches.  If  each  year  these  young  pastors 
can  be  brought  to  see  the  vision  and  recognize 
their  responsibility,  much  will  have  been  done 
to  solve  the  missionary  problem. 

The  educational  propaganda  of  the  Young  ^amt 
People's  Missionary  Movement  is  rapidly  be- 
coming an  important  factor  in  the  solution  of 
the  social,  moral,  and  religious  problems  of 
the  homeland.  The  grave  perils  that  con- 
front the  nation  in  the  tide  of  foreign  im- 
migration command  and  must  receive  the 
attention  of  the  thoughtful  young  people  of 
America.  The  enrolment  of  hundreds  of 
groups  of  young  people  in  the  unhurried  study 
67  of  the  text-books  dealing  with  home  mission- 
ary problems  will  doubtless  lead  many  to  de- 


^robUma 


f  nung  p^ojjb*0  MtaBtattarg  Msxntmmt 


CHamiraign  of 


vote  themselves  more  effectively  to  the  Chris- 
tianization  of  the  homeland. 

The  proiblem  of  interesting  men  in  missions 
is  one  of  the  most  difficult  and  important. 
The  commercial  world  of  to-day  is  alert 
to  anything  that  deals  with  the  Orient, 
and  the  fact  that  thousands  of  young  Chris- 
tian business  men  are  giving  their  thought 
week  after  week  to  missionary  work  in  the 
East  will  do  much  toward  meeting  the  base- 
less criticisms  and  sneers  at  missions  that  have 
been  current  in  the  business  world. 

Thus  far  the  Movement  fhas  centered  its  at- 
tention almost  exclusively  upon  an  educational 
campaign  for  the  quickening  of  missionary 
interest,  knowing  that  the  offering  of  life, 
money,  and  prayer  must  inevitably  follow 
an  unprejudiced  knowledge  of  the  facts. 
The  harvest  time  is  drawing  near,  and 
while  the  practical  difficulties  of  any  large 
financial  campaign  must  not  be  underesti- 
mated, the  time  will  come  when  the  Church 
missionary  boards  will  be  able  to  ask 
the  young  people  to  pour  into  the  treasuries 
of  their  respective  boards  an  offering  that 
would  have  been  impossible  without  the  pre- 


68 


^nung  J^rnpk'fi  iltBBtnnarg  Marxtmtnt 


69 


liminary  study  of  the  needs  of  the  fields,  and 
that  will  make  glad  the  lives  of  millions  who 
wait  for  the  Gospel  message. 

While  the  past  three  years  has  seen  a  rapid 
increase  in  the  number  of  young  people's 
departments  in  missionary  boards,  there  is 
still  room  for  large  expansion.  A  number  of 
the  smaller  boards  have  as  yet  no  adequate 
provision  for  the  missionary  instruction  of 
their  young  people.  Other  boards  having 
young  people's  departments  can  be  given  im- 
portant assistance  in  the  further  develofprnent 
and  organization  of  the  educational  work  of 
their  Churches,  and  as  these  various  depart- 
ments become  stronger  there  will  be  increas- 
ing need  of  a  central  federation  or  clearing- 
house through  which  each  can  share  the 
strength  of  all. 

Whatever  may  be  the  strength  or  weakness 
of  young  people's  work  as  at  present  organ- 
ized in  the  United  States,  Canada,  and  Great 
Britain,  and  projected  in  one  or  two  other 
countries,  there  are  several  important  Prot- 
estant nations  in  which  the  work  is  yet  to  be 
inaugurated. 

There     are     two     great     human     forces 


of  J^Qxha 


^xUnsion 


^0Utt9  P^opb'a  ilifisiuttarg  iHnupmfnt 


Mm 


which  it  would  seem  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  calling  forth  for  the  world's  evan- 
gelization. One  is  the  army  of  student 
volunteers  and  missionaries,  home  and  for- 
eign, who  occupy  the  firing-line,  and  the 
other  is  the  multitude  of  Christian  young 
people  whose  privilege  it  is  to  furnish 
the  munitions  of  war.  It  is  believed  that 
if  these  two  great  forces  can  be  united 
in  oneness  of  purpose  and  plan,  under  the 
guidance  and  power  of  the  Hoily  Spirit  it  will 
be  possible  to  tell  the  world  of  Christ  in  this 
generation. 

If  it  were  a  matter  of  men  only,  it 
is  sufficient  to  reflect  that  in  the  recent  Rus- 
sian-Japanese War  there  were  twenty  times 
as  many  men  engaged  as  would  be  necessary 
from  all  Christendom  for  the  evangelization  of 
the  whole  world  in  this  generation.  More  men 
have  been  killed  and  wounded  in  a  single  bat- 
tle between  Christian  nations,  or  between  two 
sections  of  a  Christian  country,  than  would  be 
required  for  this  supreme  object  of  the 
Christian  Church. 

If  it  were  a  matter  of  money  it 
is    sufficient    to    note    that    four    Christian 


70 


f  0ung  ^roplr's  MlBBlamtn  Mavtmtnt 

nations  each  year  in  time  of  peace  spend 
forty  times  as  much  money  on  their  armies 
and  navies  as  they  do  for  the  extension  of  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  in  non-Christian  lands,  and 
in  time  of  war  a  single  one  of  these  Christian 
nations  pours  into  the  conflict  more  than  fifty 
times  as  much  as  would  be  required  from  all 
Christian  nations  foir  the  support  of  all  the 
missionaries  that  would  he  needed  for  the 
world's  evangelizatio^n.  Five  cents  per  week 
from  the  members  of  the  Sunday-schools  and 
young  people's  societies  alone,  exclusive  of  the 
older  and  wealthier  Church  memhers,  wo'uld 
more  than  suffice  to  furnish  all  the  money  that 
is  needed  for  the  world's  evangelization,  wihile 
of  the  entire  wealth  of  the  Church  there  would 
be  required  annually  less  than  a  tithe  of  a 
tithe  O'f  a  tithe.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  Church  has  men  enough  and  money 
enough  for  the  world's  evangelization,  nor  can 
there  be  any  doubt  that  if  it  were  a  matter  of 
national  honor  or  commercial  enterprise,  the 
task  would  be  accomplished  though  the  diffi- 
culties were  many  times  as  great. 
7^  The  primary  question,  after  all,  is  not  that     ^amtt 

of  men  nor  of  money  but  of  the  Church's  will-     **^"9^ 


^ottng  T^topitB  MxBBxonnr^  Mxmtmtnt 

ingness  to  allow  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  rest  upon  it  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
great  task,  and  certainly  we  must  accept  the 
promise  that  power  will  come  with  obedience 
to  the  great  commission :  "All  power  is  given 
unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  Go  ye,  there- 
fore and  teach  all  nations,  and  lo,  /  am  with 
you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
The  evangelization  of  the  world  is  the  supreme 
business  of  the  Church,  and  if  the  Young 
People's  Missionary  Movement  as  a  federa- 
tion of  the  young  people's  departments  of  the 
various  boards  is  to  perform  its  part  in  train- 
ing the  Church  of  the  future  for  its  work, 
there  must  be  a  largeness  of  vision,  a  bold- 
ness of  plan,  a  strength  of  faith,  and  a  depth 
of  prayer  life,  only  the  beginnings  of  which 
have  thus  far  been  manifest  in  the  Church. 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


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